Kray twins memorabilia auction set for May 30

Memorabilia from notorious London gangsters the Kray twins will be auctioned in the UK on May 30

A selection of personal memorabilia from the Kray twins, Reggie and Ronnie, will be sold in a special UK auction on May 30.

Neither bride nor groom smile in their honeymoon shots

The gangster duo, both ex-professional boxers, rose to notoriety in London in the 1950s and 60s, where they were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime.

As nightclub owners in London's west end, the Krays were often pictured in their clubs with prominent celebrity figures such as Frank Sinatra, which created a cult following for the twins that still remains today.

There is an excellent autographed brochure from the Rat Pack in PFC Auctions' sale, which closes May 24.

The May 30 auction will feature an array of letters, poems and photographs from the twins, including several paintings created during their imprisonment.

Commenting on the letters, a spokesperson from the auction house said: "While Ronnie's handwriting is relatively easy to read, Reggie's verges on the illegible, reinforcing the impression of a man more used to communicating with his fists than with a pen - at least before he became a born again Christian."

Among the photographs in the auction will be a collection of rare images of Reggie and Frances Kray on their honeymoon in 1965, estimated at £100-150. Frances Kray was found dead in 1967 after separating from Reggie and attempting to have the marriage annulled.

The top lot of the auction will be provided by an oil painting from Ronnie Kray, which is accompanied by a handwritten letter promising another painting to T-Rex singer Marc Bolan. The simplistic, thickly applied landscape is expected to sell for £2,000-3,000.

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Images: Brightwells Fine Art/Wikimedia Commons